Still She Haunts Me
by Duck2
Summary: Set the year before Harry's birth, Snape hasn't been spying for the Order very long and already he's having his doubts. Then someone walks through Hogwarts doors, someone that he will never forget. SSOC
1. Chapter One

Still She Haunts Me

AN: Okey-dokie. This is a crazy little fic about why exactly Snape decided to seriously spy for Dumbledore. There's only one wee ickle problem. In the books, Snape started teaching after Voldie went all spirit-like so how about we just pretend Snape was teaching before then…okay? Let's begin then.

Chapter One

It was very late when a cloaked figure astride a massive winged stallion rode into Hogsmeade. The sky was mass of darkness that seemed to writhe with shadows of black against black. The howling wind had grown far too strong and cold to fly any longer so they were grounded. The two trudged their way through the deserted town, looking wistfully at the warm light that leaked out through windows and beneath doorways. The smells of dinner being served made claws dig into their empty stomachs. But they continued on.

Anyone, had they bothered to look outside, could tell they had been traveling for a long while. The horse's gray coat, once so sleek and shiny, looked ill-kept and the shadow of ribs marred his powerful sides. The rider was stooped and bent against the cold and coughed harshly from time to time. Both were slightly damp as though they had never been able to stop someplace long enough to dry off.

Someone in the wizarding village would have been more that willing to give the two a warm place to rest for the night but their will seemed set against stopping for any amount of time. They reached a set of iron gates that were flanked by two winged boars and hesitated for some unknown reason. An enormous castle loomed in the distance, it's hundreds of windows brightly lit like little beacons in the cold dark. Finally the rider drove slowly onwards towards the inviting lights. Not long after they passed the gates, the wind roared like a great dragon and a heavy freezing sleet began to fall.

…

It was Christmas time for the staff of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This year, due to the growing concern over the war with Voldemort, all of the students had been called home to their families leaving the school's hall blessedly silent. So it was understandable that the staff made Christmas dinner just a little more relaxed then it might have been in the past. Relaxed, of course, meaning mulled wine, warm cognac and the burn of good firewiskey.

There was only one person who did not completely join in the holiday festivities. His name was Severus Snape; one of the more recent additions to the staff. The young potions master was stretched tall and wiry beneath his billowing black robes. He often had an ill-kept look about him and preferred to sneer at people in a mean tempered sort of way. He did have plenty of reason to sneer though, because he was not _just _Potions Master of Hogwarts, he was also a spy for the Order of the Phoenix; a secret group that strived for the end of Voldemort's terrible reign. Now this would have been all fine and dandy for Snape if it weren't for the spying part.

He often fond it very ironic that in his effort to serve only himself; he now served two masters. At this very moment he was furtively looking at the celebrations around him and wishing he had something to celebrate. It was another year and Voldemort was still alive, the Deatheater meetings still went on and he still woke to the sound of victims screaming in his mind. He was just settling into yet another glass of liquor when there was a great commotion in the entryway. Terrified of the possibilities, the staff leaped to their collective feet and rushed out of the Great Hall.

Somehow the massive doors had been pushed open letting the growing storm dump snow into the entrance. A granian stallion stood just inside the doorway, wings spread protectively over a figure sprawled at its hooves. Everyone stood there, startled until Hagrid began to carefully coax the reluctant horse away. Madam Pomfrey was the next to leap into action, followed quickly by Snape who scooped up the mysterious visitor and followed the Mediwitch towards the infirmary. The cloak slipped, revealing the pale face of a young woman; too old to be a student and a face no one remembered. Snape deposited her onto the first cot he saw. The remaining staff crowded around murmuring restlessly among themselves.

"Out!" Madam Pomfrey yelled to the crowd that had followed them. Only Snape and Dumbledore were allowed to remain. The nurse and potion's master immediately went to work, pulling sleet-soaked clothes off the girl's limp form. They hoped it wasn't too late to get her warm and dry. Her skin was deathly pale and tinged with blue. Pomfrey swept back a tangle of black hair and let out a little shriek of surprise. Knitting through the girl's midnight hair was a pair of silver tipped black fox ears. There was a very long pause. Two pairs of stunned eyes turned to Dumbledore.

"One of the Kitsune."


	2. Chapter Two

Still She Haunts Me

Who can know  
What happens in her mind  
Did she come from a strange world  
And leave her mind behind  
Her long lost sighs  
And her brightly coloured eyes  
Tell her story to the wind

-Nick Drake "Thoughts of Mary Jane"

Chapter Two

Many many hours later, the fox-eared girl was still sleeping. The cold chill in her body had been replaced with a raging fever that refused to break even with the help of magic. Madam Pomfrey had resorted to cool cloths and herbal teas. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Snape had convinced her so get some of her own rest and had taken over the watch. The nameless girl slept on. Snape sat and read and watched. Her pale face was fine boned and heart-shaped, like a doll. She was thin and weak, but Snape could see a wiry strength in her figure. And those _ears, _their silver tips flicked back and forth even in sleep.

Earlier, Hagrid had brought the girls things that had been found on her granian, who was recovering nicely in the corner of a spare greenhouse. They were laid out neatly on an empty bed. Dumbledore had carefully looked through them for clues to the girl's identity. Many of the items seemed out of place for a wanderer; a long string of amber beads for example, a silk fan, and several carved hair combs. Her traveling cloak was very well made and lined with dappled fur. Most mysterious was a round black ball, about the size of a child's fist and heavy for its size.

After she was out of danger last night, Dumbledore had explained what he knew about fox spirits. "Kitsune" as they were called in their native Japan were a mystery, even to wizards. Muggles believed they were sacred foxes that could take human form. More likely they were simply an ancient race. Like wizards they possessed magical powers, mostly those of illusion and shape shifting. They could live quite a long time, apparently gaining an extra tail according to age and rank. Very little was truly known about them because every time someone tried to really talk with one, the fox would trick his way out in true fox-like form. Kitsune simply preferred to live on their own terms.

Snape was startled from his musing as the girl began to stir from her sleep. Her eyes were an odd honey color, like a piece of good amber held to the sunlight. They were still hazy with fever as they struggled to focus on his face. She coughed and it was a sick wet sound that rattled in her chest and made Snape think of pneumonia.

He helped the girl sit up "Here," said Snape as he pressed a cup of tea to her lips, she only managed to take a few sips before sagging against him. He could feel her exhaustion, and it made Snape feel his own all the more clearly. From what he and Pomfrey could figure out, the girl had been sick for some time but had bypassed treatment to travel. What could be so important as to give up normal rest and proper care of oneself? The girl's eyes opened once more. Her hand trembled violently as she gripped his sleeve.

"Am I at Hogwarts?" she croaked

"Yes, you're safe now."

"Good." Her eyes shut and she slept.

Snape managed to get his own fitful hours of sleep that afternoon. The girl was awake when he walked back into the infirmary. She was sitting up in a nest of blankets eating a bowl of soup and chatting with Pomfrey. She set down her bowl when she saw him enter and the two regarded each other silently. She looked much better now; her long hair had been combed out and pulled into a long plait that would have trailed to mid-thigh if she stood. Snape guessed her age to be about twenty, but her eyes had a knowing look about them that made her seem older.

"You were watching over me." The girl broke the silence. Snape only nodded "Thank you. My name is Tora Kiryuu. And I'm quite sure I have some explaining to do."

Since Tora was still too weak to walk, Dumbledore had made his own way to the infirmary. Tora stayed where she was and began to tell her story.

"You already know that I am one of the Kitsune, but I should still explain a bit more. You see, Kitsune have power, just as you do, but we need no wand to control ours and it works differently. We can create with our magic, not just objects, but entire worlds so to speak. Together we create little pockets in reality where we can live in peace, away from the outside world. We have done just so for centuries.

Several months ago the wizard you call Voldemort, discovered our power and sought to capture us for his own use. He tore through our world, destroyed it. But, our magic is so much a part of what we are that we die for lack of it. By ripping apart our creations, he tore apart the very being of the Kitsune. It was little more than a massacre. So few of us survived, I lived only because I carry wizard blood. I was sent to find help; we wish to join forces with the wizards. Please help us."

Her voice cracked on the last word as conflicting emotions flowed across her pale face. Fighting to maintain control, Tora bit down hard on her lip, set her jaw and stared Dumbledore hard in the eye. Though she said nothing, her eyes layed a demand on him _Please help_ it begged _Don't turn me away_. It pained Snape to see so desperate a look on her face. He imagined it was how is own face looked the day he came to Dumbledore.

"Child," said Dumbledore kindly "I would not dare to turn you away."

Tora's face wavered as she turned away; Snape watched a silent tear roll down her cheek.

"Thank you" her voice was a mere whisper.

Now there was only the question of living arrangements. Tora was too old to slip in amongst the students and couldn't act as a professor.

"Severus, haven't you been saying you could use an assistant?"

Snape was shocked into silence. Tora turned towards him with her huge eyes and Dumbledore beamed at him in a horribly knowing sort of way.

"That would be just perfect!" Poppy burst in with her opinion "Wouldn't it Severus? Why just this week you said you could use an extra hand around the dungeons but none of the students were mature enough to handle it."

"I worked in the apothecary before…" Tora's quiet voice trailed off.

Snape sighed "Fine."

And so it was settled.

Snape visited Tora again the next day. She was in far better spirits then he. Desperate to see how her horse was doing, Snape agreed to walk with her down to the greenhouses. They walked in silence for a while.

"Sir"

"Yes?"

"Are you angry with me?" Tora asked. Snape stopped to look at her. She was staring at her feet, looking very small and very ladylike. When he didn't answer right away she stole a glance at him through her black hair, he was looking at her in a most peculiar way.

"No, I'm not angry. Just a little overwhelmed." They continued to walk "I do have a question though. A rather personal one if you don't mind."

"Yes, sir?"

"How will you hide your ears?" Snape was surprised when Tora laughed. She had a very pretty laugh.

"Like this!" Tora rubbed her hands together and passed them over her ears and down her hair. Snape's vision went blurry for a few moments and when he could focus clearly, Tora's fox ears where gone.

"How did you do that?!"

She laughed again "Magic of course! How else could Kitsune go living among the world for so long without being noticed? It's sort of like glamour, my ears appear to have disappeared, but they only look that way."

They continued their walk the mood having lightened considerably. Snape asked all the questions he had, and Tora answered them.

When they reached the greenhouses, even Snape allowed himself to be just a little amazed by the sight of a granian taking up residence. He was absolutely massive, tall and well muscled, broad chested with a well arched neck. His gray coat was beautifully dappled and his wings barred with black. He turned towards Tora and butted her in the chest gently with his head.

"His name's Ryu." Said Tora "Want to go for a ride?"

"No I think later perhaps." Quite frankly Snape wasn't so keen on flying.

"Oh, I see, you don't like heights."

"No it's not that…Alright I'll go." Tora simply smiled and lead Ryu outside. He stood still as she hopped onboard gracefully and Snape clambered after her.

"Just hold on to me and try to relax."

_Easier said then done_ Snape thought to himself as he wrapped an arm around Tora. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and suddenly they were running across the grass and a moment after that they were flying. Ryu's massive wings beat slow and steady. Wind roared in his ears. Tora was laughing, her voice as clear as a bell. Snape risked opening his eyes; they were flying just over the tree tops. It was beautiful. Snape suddenly understood why people wanted to fly, because for a moment there were no boundaries, for a moment he was free.

A/N: Thank you kidarockfor the review!


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